Playoff Time!!!!

[kbrade84]

Alright guys ... 10 hard weeks are in the books and now its time for the playoffs and predictions.

Congratulations to everyone for a great season at the LBC Arena.

But now it's the elite 8. The top four teams played 10 games to earn their seeding now its time for them to make use of it.

So let's hear who you guys think will advance out of round one and for the heck of it give some score predictions.


The Elite 8

1. Blazers versus 8. Jets

2. Nordiques versus 7. North Stars

3. Whalers versus 6. Sabres

4. Golden Seals versus 5. Scrantonicity


The Final Four

highest seed remaining versus lowest seed remaining

2nd highest seed remaining versus 2nd lowest seed remaining


BCHL Final

highest seed remaining versus lowest seed remaining

[brandonchancey]

alright, i will drop full predictions. last time i checked with commissioner sundar we ain't doing the highest seed vs lowest seed remaining deal, its just a static bracket.

here are my predictions...

First Round
Blazers 21 Jets 0
Nordiques 9 North Stars 5
Whalers 11 Sabres 7
Golden Seals 13 Scrantonicity 5

Semi Finals
Blazers 13 Golden Seals 8
Nordiques 11 Whalers 8

Finals
Blazers 10 Nordiques 7


but yeah anything can happen, im bias to my squad as well. good luck to all.

[georgebocolas]

here are my predictions

first round
blazers 9 - jets 10 (the upset of the century)
nordiques 11 - north stars 8
whalers 9 - sabres 4
golden seals 9 - scrantonicity 11

semi's
nordiques 13 - jets 2
whalers 15 - scrantonicity 16

finals
nordiques 9 - scrantonicity 10

i swear no bias towards my team (haha) let's have some fun with the playoffs

[Commisioner Sundar]

here are the predictions everyone is waiting for. The Commisioner of the BCHL has predicted:

Quarterfinals
Blazers xx Jets xx
Nordiques xx North Stars xx
Whalers xx Sabres xx
Golden Seals xx Scrantonicity xx

Champion: Everyones a champion. Cmon you didnt think I'd actually put in my 2 cents on the isse did you?

[crunk]

Ok guys, here's my first round playoff analysis for each matchup. Like I said before, there’s pretty much 3 types of playoff teams: Contenders, Pretenders, and Cinderellas (the teams that would only win in a fairytale). I’m going to go ahead and name some pretenders (teams that think they can win, but definitely WON’T), so don’t get PO'd if I you're on that list, cause it's just my opinion. And once again, if you don’t agree with me, bash me back or back it up and prove me wrong on the floor.

(1) Blazers vs. (8) Jets
Prediction: Blazers 31 - Jets 1 . Odds are 75:1

Ok, I think most people will agree that the Jets are just not enough to contend with this powerhouse Blazers squad, who are pretty untouchable right now. And, to be legitimate, it will definitely be tough for the Blazers to rail off 31 goals, which would be both a playoff (23, set last year by this same Blazers squad against a very similar Jets squad) and regular season BCHL record, but to be honest I'm not 100% sure the Jets will score their 1 goal, either. While this is up for debate, I’m confident most people consider the Blazers as Contenders and the Jets as Cinderellas , but lemme break down my own logic on the matter: Sure, the two squads are totally inverted in their regular season record (Jets 0-10, Blazers 10-0), and sure the Jets haven't scored more than 6 goals all season (and they happened to score their season-high 6 goals all the way back in Week 1, if you can remember that far), while the Blazers have never scored less than 8 all season (which occurred 2 weeks ago), and yeah sure the Jets have never given up LESS than 11 goals all season (and yes, that was again in week 1) en route to averaging about 18 Goals Against per game throughout the season, and sure the Blazers have only given up 10 goals once this season to gain their surprisingly large +104 goal differential (which in all fairness is only outdone by the Jets' -154 differential!!), and sure Blazers forward J. Wise ALONE has scored about double the amount of goals this season than the entire Jets squad combined all season, and sure there are dozens of other crazy/random/messed up stats that point in the direction of an absolute slaughtering (again) in the favor of the Blazers, but that doesn't necessarily mean their agile netminder B. Riyomoto alongside one-man train B. Grant and company can't light up the building and pull the biggest upset in sports history....right?


(2) Nordiques vs. (7) North Stars
Prediction: Nordiques 11 - North Stars 6 . Odds are 6:1

The score to this game might not dictate just how close it may be, as I expect the North Stars to once again put up a great fight and in fact have the closest first round game of the playoffs. Despite the fact that the North Stars haven't won a game since Week 4 when whomped the Jets by 15-2, this team has more than put up a battle in their last five weeks. In this span, the North Stars have played the top 4 teams in the league and have given each a run for their money. They played a very winnable game against the Blazers in week 9 (including a solid first 2 periods) and followed it up with an impressive 3rd period for a 1 goal loss to the Whalers on Monday. Still, the only game we can actually draw upon for a preview to this 2 vs. 7 matchup is their Week 6 loss to the Nordiques by 5 goals (11-6 final score), a game where Nordiques captain M. Sahib was the difference maker with 2 PPG. Interestingly, this game also marks the breaking point for North Stars forward J. Cheong because after this game he went on a scoring tear, potting 8+ points on multiple occasions--a feat that never really occurred early in the season. Perhaps this was best illustrated in week 10, where J. Cheong awoke his sleeping Stars from their 2 period slumber and almost brought them back for an upset win over the Whalers. Will J. Cheong be the winning solution for the North Stars, though? It’s tough to say, especially seeing as the Nordiques are just coming off a disappointing loss to the Blazers, their first regulation loss in the season. One might question their confidence and focus coming into this playoff stretch, but I don't see a problem for them to bounce back though because they've shown resiliency all season.

Conversely, the North Stars have their own problems to deal with, one of which is the question of who will start in net. They’ve been juggling goalies all season long as they try to find the right piece to fix that Achilles heel. When Russell came in for the 3rd period of their loss to the Whalers, the Stars were able to generate a strong comeback off the strength of an energized J. Cheong--but the real question remains whether or not they can trust Russell in goal for an entire game. Some may even question whether the surge of goals was not a result of the goaltending but more a result of J. Cheong having relatively fresh legs in the normally-slow paced 3rd period where players are beginning to get more and more tired.

Savvy veterans M. Sahib and C. Narayan have been in playoff mode before (but last year they were alongside their first-round competitors D. Gauvin and J. Cheong, which is another interesting storyline) and I'm sure they'll offer the required inspirational words to their 4 rookies. This game should offer many slap shots, especially from Nordiques snipers I. Sahib and North Stars D. Gauvin but I'm not too sure the North Stars goalie (whoever it is) will be able to handle the barrage of Nordiques shots to render enough saves. With superior passing, shooting, and defensive pressure, not to mention their Vezina-leading candidate C. Narayan behind the pipes, this should be a solid win for the Nordiques – but with Upset-central March Madness in progress, you never know when the North Stars could turn into Cinderella’s.

(3) Whalers vs. (6) Sabres
Prediction: Whalers 12 – Sabres 5 . Odds are 10:1

First thing is first: the Sabres have been playing quite poorly in the last few weeks (not counting week 10), mainly because they’ve never had a full squad out to a game. Their pitfall had to have been week 9 and their 5 goal loss to the Scrantonicity, a team that is trying to find their own identity. Yeah it helps when you get call-up netminder V. Sundar to play a solid game for you in the regular season, but when it comes down to it, there aren’t any call-ups allowed in the post-season. This fact is riddled with my opinion that the Whalers are perhaps the worst possible nightmare team for the Sabres to play against in the first round. The Whalers get more shots on net than every other team in the league, and even if All-Star goaltender S. Lowood is going to return from his random injuries/Mono and be in decent shape for this playoff game, it’ll be tough to upset a team that doubles your shot count, because let’s face it, the Sabres average the third worst shot count in the league! Let’s look at the strengths for the Sabres: they have a really good PK (number 1 in the league), but consider the fact that Whalers HARDLY ever give up penalties. I’m not 100% sure on this stat, but I think M. Fallow had 1 penalty all the way back in week 5 against the Blazers—and that’s about it for Whaler penalties ALL SEASON . What about the Sabres stymie defence, which often draws one to perceive that they are the best defensive squad in the BCHL? Well, defence doesn’t make a huge difference when the opposition is just launching pucks at all angles. In addition, the occasional lack of production from forward P. Dennis, while sorely missed, has more than been compensated by the play of M. Alger, who has demonstrated his top-10 touch around the net. The Sabres are going to need to block a lot of shots to stay close in this game. How about the battle of the goaltenders? Last year, and even this year when he’s healthy, S. Lowood had been considered as one of the top goalies in the league; but anytime you battle an LBC Arena veteran like A. Gowan, you know it’s going to be tough because he knows all the bounces like the back of his hand. Still, Gowan has shown a few instances where the defense has simply broken down in front of him and he has not been able to bail them out. But when it came to week 3 and their 20-0 win over the Jets, I don’t think that was the case at all.

Just as I’ll be certain that commissioner Sundar will be wearing his Colts jacket next time I see him, I’ll be certain that the Whalers will manhandle this team more than anyone here even expects. I mean, the Sabres think they have the right pieces, and maybe if the regular season was extended a little bit so they could try and get back on track for a few games, then maybe, just maybe, the Sabres could pull something together – but they are going to need to pull a rabbit show for this one and dazzle the league. Thinking that you got what it takes, but really you don’t = PRETENDER. Some might consider the Whalers as contenders seeing as they always have a good squad and seem to put up a great fight in all their games. That’s a valid argument. But, if P. Dennis continues to play like he has all season (which is totally different than his play last season), if Gowan faces critical defensive lapses, and if the Whalers squad continues to apply a shoot FIRST, pass to an open shooter SECOND strategy, then this squad too is a PRETENDER . Before people start trying to knife me for saying that a #3 ranked team is a pretender, consider this: ever since their week 2 slaughtering over the Lietz-less Golden Seals, the Whalers have yet to beat another top 4 team (GSeals, Blazers, Nordiques) and in fact lose by an average of 4 goals per game to those squads. In order to have been out of that pretender name-tag, they needed at least 1 win (even though they came pretty d**n close in their 1 goal Saturday night loss to the GSeals in week 7) to shut my mouth. Tough pill to swallow in my opinion, but this might be the only Pretender vs. bigger Pretender matchup of the post-season. It’s up to the Whaler’s to prove me wrong (and that may have to be in the semi’s). I expect a rebuttal come game time.

(4) Golden Seals vs. (5) Scrantonicity
Prediction: Golden Seals 18 – Scrantonicity 7 . Odds are 25:1

Back in weeks 4 and 5, these two teams squared off in back-to-back games and when it was over, one thing was evident: the Golden Seals just have too much offense for this Scrantonicity squad. Both games ended in blowouts (24-8 and 20-11 in weeks 4 and 5, respectively) as the Golden Seals notched their two BEST offensive performances of the entire season against this same squad. That’s not necessarily saying this Scrantonicity squad can’t win, because they have pulled off impressive victories over the Sabres (in their second contest), the Jets, and the North Stars. Still, when it comes to facing teams that have a 0.500 record, Scrantonicity tells a totally different story as they are winless in their 5 attempts. Winners of their last two and 3 of their last 4 games, the Scrantonicity offer a blend of offensive punch and defensive pressure with their backstop J. Degraff at the helm, but are they enough to take down a potent GSeals team? I say no. The Golden Seals are way too strong offensively with T. Lietz at the centerline, J. Pierce with the power, and captain K. Brade down low; these three prolific scorers have combined for a ridiculous 39 goals in their two meetings with the Scrantonicity. And this goes without mentioning the tenacity of A.Reis and the hard-work of S. Reid, who always brings a spark to the lineup. Of course, this was back when the Scrantonicity still had forward J. Carino (now on the North Stars), so the complexion of the team has changed a little bit. Unfortunately for the Scrantonicity, however, I don’t expect their outcome to be the same. It’s definitely going to be a tough uphill battle for the Scrantonicity throughout the whole playoffs as a win over the GSeals would still probably pit them off against the Blazers in the next round. If they were to miraculously dethrone this squad, they would have to beat either the Whalers or Nordiques in the finals – that sounds like a pretty ridiculous string of wins, seeing as they are winless against ALL those teams. For that reason, I give them the status of Cinderella’s, because only in a fairy tale would they win.

Even though goaltender Degraff puts up decent numbers, it’s tough to compare them to those of mid-season acquisition A. Baird, who hasn’t seen Scrantonicity action since he was traded to the Golden Seals. Since joining the Seals, Baird has a higher GAA, save %, and wins than Degraff and that’s really only counting his mid-season stats. He may very well be the piece to the puzzle for this Seals squad to take it all the way. It’s not to take anything away from B. Riyomoto, who played exceptional for GSeals in his tenure, but the reigning Vezina trophy winner has more goalie experience which is one of those priceless things in the playoffs. I’m going to go ahead and name the Golden Seals as Contenders , the third and last ones on my list. If they elevate their game, which I believe they have the potential for, there is no reason why they couldn’t be giving their Seal call while hoisting the BCHL Trophy. That is, of course, if they can somehow take down the juggernaut Blazers in the Semi-finals, who are practically unbeatable at the moment.
Those are my predictions, semifinals and finals predictions to come next week. I’ll see you guys come Monday! If you got beef with crunk, then would be an appropriate time to bring it.

-Crunk

[h]

Nice analysis Crunk (aka Jasub Jarquin)

I agree with almost everything you’re saying except one thing some people aren't aware that the periods in the playoffs are 20 minutes long! So this in effect changes everything! Teams are going to have to have the stamina and endurance to get the win. Not to knock the seals but I think this does not help them, I'm not too sure about Mark Thompsons injury status but one thing I know is that he is a work horse (30+ minutes a game), let's say he resembles a Matthias ohlund type player. Are the seals a better team with him in the line-up? Yes! There’s no doubt in that question, and he can also put up the numbers when it counts. For example I'm quite certain if not for his 6 goal performance against Whalers, his team would have most likely lost the game. However, it seems that the Seals feed off of his presence. They were losing to the Sabres after 2 periods, Mark Thompson walks through the door and the seals team is a whole different team in the 3rd period! Anyways, the point I’m getting at is that the Seals are going to have to conserve their energy and maybe slow the game down a bit to remain as a contender, and maybe just maybe these pretenders will pull off a fairy tale miracle on floor performance to take the BCHL CUP!!!

Here are my thoughts on the teams and the 20 minute periods for the rest of the teams, and how it will affect them.

Blazers, number one in the standings, but I’m pretty sure every team would love to see them get knocked off or dethroned. The single knockout playoffs benefit’s this team; they are a powerhouse with their core 5 players. However, they are a sinking ship with four players. Too bad they didn't face a top 4 team while Jens Cuthbert was out. I can't see them beating the Nordiques, Whalers or Seals with 4 players. With that to add they are not a fast team, they like to play off of others mistakes and jump on the counter attack, the only way to beat this team I think is to play good defence, stay on wise and make sure you don't give them any easy goals or any momentum. This may sound hard but one thing I do know is that they do not play well when they get down or after a soft goal goes in. The 20 minute periods will not benefit this team in the semi's. I say they will luck out if they play the Seals in the semi's as well because they are in a similar situation as the Seals, which I think will probably be a great game, if it happens. Not too sure about Sundar's warped bracket playoffs? This isn't a tournament, I think teams fought hard to get a good ranking and shouldn't be disadvantaged all for the glorification of Vic Sundar's massive ego power trip (just so everyone know I’m joking...partly) He's awesome I allow him to do whatever he wants because he is such a great commish! We are a lucky league to have him. Anyways, back to the Blazers, best of 3 does not help them in the final. I think they want to keep on the momentum because any bump in the road victory, like losing game one or two of the final could set them on a crash course and I’m not sure if they've got what it takes to mount a comeback.

Nordiques play best when they raise their level of intensity, playing against them is the most exhausting experience I’ve ever had in the BCHL. They will benefit the most from the 20 minute periods, that's why I think they are odd's on favourites to win.

Whalers, they're like a character in a video game that is well rounded in each category. They lack that extra special scoring or really solid defence to really have a good chance. They will remain unaffected by the 20 minute periods. However, they can compete with any team. If they can put up a solid 60 minutes every game then I think they can take the cup. They are the darkhorse of the playoffs I think, and that’s the way I like it. This is their first playoff experience besides Dennis, they hope that he can step up his game as well. But ya were just going to have some fun and see what damage we can do.

Seals.....I already talked about them, Mark Thompson = X-factor, that’s for people who real nhl.com playoff summaries! Tyler Lietz and Kelcey Brade will bring a great deal experience. Jim Pearse will provide the comedy. Arran Baird will be barking out orders. Allan Reis, will fly under the radar (he can score!) Stu Reid will provide the grit and captaincy..........

Scrantonicity: They are on a roll winning their last 3 of 4. They are a hard working team I think the 20 minute periods play to their advantage as they work so hard and take disciplined substitutions keeping guys fresh all the time. Degraff will hold the key to Scrantonicitys success he will need to come up with key saves, and if they can get that playoff grit that was shown all season by Brandon Kapitan then I think they have a chance to win. However, each player will have to have their best games of the season to pull of this upset.

Sabres: They are the future of the BCHL; every player on the team is born on average probably 7 years after the average BCHLer. They have a good offensive punch when all their players show up, good defence and good goaltending. They have a decent shot at beating the Whalers I think, just gotta play 60 minutes at high intensity.

North Stars: They are the perfect cinderella story; nobody wants anything more then to see this team go far, they are great guys and they have a great talent. But who will they have between the pipes. Ponech has only played 3 games, he would be their best bet. However, Shayne Russell has put up good numbers this season in net. I think it's best if we stop speculating, and just sit back and watch probably one of the best 1st round games of the playoffs.

Jets: These guys are all stand up guys! They show up to every game, and they play hard and don't complain. These guys play for the love of the game, and when it comes down to it that’s what we all should be doing. I think every team is doing that. But given the circumstance I don't think many of us would if we were put in their situation. I give Brian Ryiomoto mad props, as being the only traded player this season, he has done very well! After being separated from his buddy's team, he didn't complain once! I wish the best of luck to the Jet's as they are probably thinking about next year and who they will select with their two 1st round draft picks.
Oh and for those who only care about predictions...
Nordiques in 3 games over Blazers.
Dream Prediction:
Whalers in 2 games over the best team to come out of the Eastern Conference.

[johnnydegraaf]

Okay, since it seems like the thing to do, and everyone is doing it, I will throw in my predictions for the playoffs, and I will try not to have any bias towards my team.

First off, Jets @ Blazers,
Now I am not going to throw any numbers out for this game, first of all casue if I am wrong then I look like an idiot, but secondly and more importantly, the only thing that matters in the playoffs is the win, whether it be by 1 goal or 21 goals. This game was easy enough for me to pick, I am a huge fan of the Jets team, and I have huge respect for them. It cant be easy to go through an entire season without a win, but they showed up to every game and played their best, congrats Jets players. That being said, I am going to have to pick the blazers. It's a known fact that defence is the most important aspect in the playoffs, like the old saying goes, "defence wins championships" and I dont think that the Blazers are an overly defensive minded or strong defensive team, however with the scoring talent on the team I dont think it matters.

Johnny's pick - Blazers over the Jets

North Stars @ Nordiques
This game was another easy game for me to pick. The North Stars with only 1 win are hardly the team anyone would pick to upset the Nordiques. However they did have an impressive game against the Blazers in I believe week 8 or 9 where they managed to score 2 goals and hold the Blazers to only 8. Not too sure if that was the correct final score but I think I remember reading that. Anyways the Nordiques only have 2 losses this season both at the hands of the undefeated Blazers, and I think the age and experience of the Nordiques will be a huge advantage to them in the playoffs.
Johnny's pick - Nordiques over the North Stars

Sabres @ Whalers
This is where I think things get interesting. This was not an easy game to try and pick, but I did manage to choose my pick for the winner. I think this game along and the Seals game will be the 2 best of the first round. The Sabres are a team I have a huge deal of respect for, I think they are a team who could have finished the regular season a lot higher in the standings then they did. This is a team that rarely lost a game with a huge blowout. They always bring their a game to the arena and manage to keep the score close no matter who their opponent may be. Every game seems to be winable for the Sabres and just bad luck has them this low in the standings. Being a betting man I think that if there were bets to be made on the BCHL I would definatly take the Sabres to upset the Whalers for a pretty decent payout. However since we arent in Vegas and no money is riding on these games I am going to have to pick the Whalers, they are a tough team and it seems every player on the team has a cannon where there arm should be.
Johnny's pick - Whalers over the Sabres in a VERY close and exciting game.

Scrantonicity @ Golden Seals
Now this is where it gets interesting, and I will try and stay as un-biased as possible. I think entertainment wise, this will be one of the best games of the playoffs, and not just the first round. Now we all know that these 2 teams have a little bit of a rivalry going on and it must have been fate that they play each other first in the playoffs. Now there are a lot of factors that need to be considered in predicting this game. First of all, Scrantonicity has a terrible record against the Seals, not only that but they have yet to defeat a top 4 team this season. That being said however, all their tough games came in the first half of the season when the team was still new to the league. A lot of people dont realize that Scrantonicity is an expansion team. They have never played in an actual arena, never played with the type of puck used in the BCHL, never played in a structured competitive league, and didnt know a thing about their opponents. So considering all those factors I think if the schedule was reversed and they played the easier games first, they would have been more prepared for the harder games and thus standing more of a chance. And then there is Arran Baird. Newest member of the Golden Seals, reigning Vezina Winner (from what I have heard) and practically a big question mark in the eyes of the Scrantonicity players. I think that pitting one the best goalies in the BCHL against a rising Scrantonicty team who has really gotten a grasp of the game in the last half of the season and in my eyes has only gotten better as the season progressed will make this meeting between the 2 teams a lot different then the previous 2. Look for this game to be extremely close and competitive, if you only watch 1 game this year make it this one.
Johnny's pick - Scrantonicity over the Golden Seals by 1 or 2 goals.


As for round 2, I will give my picks once the teams are decided and round one is in the books. If anyone has and comments on my picks or thoughts please let me know.

[dont bet sports action]

check the GAA and defence does win Championship! POP Bottles!

[kbrade84]

alright guys ... i did this before round one and i'll do it again for round two. it's time to put your money where your mouth is in the form of predictions.


semi-final game one: Monday April 7th 8pm

Nordiques versus Ladner Sabres
-- season series Nords 2-0

The Nordiques enter this semi after a come-from-behind overtime victory over the North Stars who put up a valiant effort in their quarterfinal game.

The Sabres enter this semi after a shocking upset over the third-ranked Ladner Whalers. The key to the Sabres win over the Whalers was their strong goaltending and defensive play.

semi-final game two: Monday, April 7 930pm

Ladner Blazers versus Metro Vancouver Golden Seals
-- season series Blazers 1-0

The Blazers advanced to Monday's semi-final after a big win over the last place Jets. But their lopsided victory didn't come without a minor scare (and i do mean minor) as the Jets played extremely well early on.

The Golden Seals advanced to the second round after thumping the Scrantonicity 23-10. The Seals were without M Thompson and S Read in this game, but the remaining four players elevated their game to roll over the Scrantonicity. M Thompson and S Read aren't expected to play in Round Two.

So, now that I've done my brief preview it's time to get your insight on the next round. Fire away

[Mr Crew]

whuever runs the website. the Golden Seals ewrent number 3 ranked, they were 4. thanks.

predictions for final: Blazers win 2-0 (scores 10-9, 12-8)

[hats off seals and sabres]

Wow hats off to the sabres for there huge upset win over the nords and a berth into the finals! Talk about a game, the seals put up a valient effort in there game against the defending league champions the blazers. if it wasnt for there last couple period slip aways they would be in the finals too, it just seems the blazers always find some offensive way to sneak out the win when there down a goal or two, perhaps being an offensive style team helps for those crucial times...
I look forward to the sabres blazers showdown, its a toss up, they way the sabres are playing they might be called favourites. although they are playing the undefeated blazers and defending champs, this will be a close final 3!

[crunk]

There were definitely some crazy games last night. It's tough to see any team go down (especially in OT, in the case of the Seals) but that's what makes teams hungry for another season eh. The Nordiques, winners of 9 of their last 10 games, fell victims to a solid all-around upset performance by the Sabres, who are 1 playoff series away from completing their Cinderella run (before I called the Sabres pretenders....I take back that comment lol). It was probably tough for the Nordiques after playing such an exhaustive grueling contest last Saturday against the North Stars. And that semi-final game was exhausting for sure as their game slowed down a lot in the third period.

The Sabres too, were exhausted in their game against the Blazers; and believe me, so were the Blazers. After a quick 6-1 lead in the first, they looked to have control of things before the Blazers railed off 5 straight to tie it up and more in the second to take the lead. It took about 7 minutes into the third period to finally score a goal in that one, both a testament to the great goaltending and a testament to the fatigue.

But enough of the past, what about the finals?

Fatigue won't be as big a factor in the finals with only 15min periods and not 20min like in the earlier two rounds. Less time definitely favors the 4man squad of the Blazers because it'll mean they'll get less tired. That being said, the Sabres have advanced past the #3 and #2 seeds successively because of their ability to always have fresh legs on the floor. I expect them to try and run the Blazers into the ground in their attempt to exhaust them, much like they did the Nordiques. However, unlike the Nordiques who play solid defensive hockey, the Blazers are more rounded offensively with their passing and shooting and it showed in their game against the Seals when they needed to crawl back from a big first period deficit. This flurry of offense could fluster the Sabres, because the last time they played a [/i] potent offensive squad was a couple weeks ago when they suffered a loss to the Golden Seals. In all fairness though, their whole team wasn't there, which is critical to the whole endurance-factor.

Also, in the Sabres vs. Nordiques game, there were 2 defensive minded squads on the floor, but it just so happened that one team had more players and the other team was more tired. That type of game won't apply as much in the Blazers vs. Sabres game because of the aforementioned offensive mindset and because of the 15min periods.

Still, the Sabres are a gritty defensive squad with great goaltending and snipers in Bennet, Schuss, Besth and company. They have probably one of the most solid benches in the entire BCHL, and they use that to their advantage with quick changes that catch their opposition off guard. The key for them is not to be discouraged if they are down a few goals early--their game should improve as the game wears on. They can't, on the other hand, be complacent and wait for the Blazers to get tired, or they'll suffer the same fate that every other team has all season long.

I look for it to be a very close series throughout. My predictions (albeit biased) are 2-1 for the Blazers, where the scores are 13-8, 7-11, 13-12.

Hope to see everyone there

[crunk]

crunk said:

There were definitely some crazy games last night. It's tough to see any team go down (especially in OT, in the case of the Seals) but that's what makes teams hungry for another season eh. The Nordiques, winners of 9 of their last 10 games, fell victims to a solid all-around upset performance by the Sabres, who are 1 playoff series away from completing their Cinderella run (before I called the Sabres pretenders....I take back that comment lol). It was probably tough for the Nordiques after playing such an exhaustive grueling contest last Saturday against the North Stars. And that semi-final game was exhausting for sure as their game slowed down a lot in the third period.

The Sabres too, were exhausted in their game against the Blazers; and believe me, so were the Blazers. After a quick 6-1 lead in the first, they looked to have control of things before the Blazers railed off 5 straight to tie it up and more in the second to take the lead. It took about 7 minutes into the third period to finally score a goal in that one, both a testament to the great goaltending and a testament to the fatigue.

But enough of the past, what about the finals?

Fatigue won't be as big a factor in the finals with only 15min periods and not 20min like in the earlier two rounds. Less time definitely favors the 4man squad of the Blazers because it'll mean they'll get less tired. That being said, the Sabres have advanced past the #3 and #2 seeds successively because of their ability to always have fresh legs on the floor. I expect them to try and run the Blazers into the ground in their attempt to exhaust them, much like they did the Nordiques. However, unlike the Nordiques who play solid defensive hockey, the Blazers are more rounded offensively with their passing and shooting and it showed in their game against the Seals when they needed to crawl back from a big first period deficit. This flurry of offense could fluster the Sabres, because the last time they played a

[/i] potent offensive squad was a couple weeks ago when they suffered a loss to the Golden Seals. In all fairness though, their whole team wasn't there, which is critical to the whole endurance-factor.

Also, in the Sabres vs. Nordiques game, there were 2 defensive minded squads on the floor, but it just so happened that one team had more players and the other team was more tired. That type of game won't apply as much in the Blazers vs. Sabres game because of the aforementioned offensive mindset and because of the 15min periods.

Still, the Sabres are a gritty defensive squad with great goaltending and snipers in Bennet, Schuss, Besth and company. They have probably one of the most solid benches in the entire BCHL, and they use that to their advantage with quick changes that catch their opposition off guard. The key for them is not to be discouraged if they are down a few goals early--their game should improve as the game wears on. They can't, on the other hand, be complacent and wait for the Blazers to get tired, or they'll suffer the same fate that every other team has all season long.

I look for it to be a very close series throughout. My predictions (albeit biased) are 2-1 for the Blazers, where the scores are 13-8, 7-11, 13-12.

Hope to see everyone there[/quote]
actually wtf am i talking about, Blazers will win 2-0 (scores 13-5, 10-8).

[Lucas Besth]

Now that the playoffs are over. I'd just like to thank everyone for a great season...Me and the rest of my team (Sabres) had a great time this year and we couldn't have been more happy with our playoff run. Congratz to the Blazers for defending the title for the 2nd year straight. That final game was the only game I haven't been hacked once in haha and it felt good. I hope to return next year for another season depending on what happens exactly. ;D

[Lucas Besth]

Now that the playoffs are over. I'd just like to thank everyone for a great season...Me and the rest of my team (Sabres) had a great time this year and we couldn't have been more happy with our playoff run. Congratz to the Blazers for defending the title for the 2nd year straight. That final game was the only game I haven't been hacked once in haha and it felt good. I hope to return next year for another season depending on what happens exactly. ;D